World Cup Thread.

condon84 said:

How can you say some of our players can start on other teams when it's clear as day our players can't maintain possession because of awful first touch and inaccurate passing? Those same qualities are what those other teams judge their players on.

Even watching a low level table team in the EPL like QPR, they can maintain possession and mount a buildup against elite clubs like ManCity or Chelsea.

Sorry, but what team USA showed against German, Belgium, and for the better part of Ghana was literally a DIII team vs a DI team.

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That's because 9 of our 11 guys would have no business playing in the EPL for exactly that reason. When you only have 2 guys who can play on that level, then obviously you aren't going to mount sustained attacks with a lot of possession. But that doesn't change the fact that a couple of those guys could. You point to Bradley not being able to make it in the higher levels. Well, look at Dempsey.He just completed 7 successful years in the EPL with Fulham and Tottenham. Julian Green is 19 and he's already played in the Champions League for Bayern Munich, which is one of the best 2-3 teams in the world.

In my view, the USA was about as overmatched against Germany/Belgium as a relegation-level EPL team is against a team like Man City. Yeah, we had trouble sustaining any kind of possession, but the defense was effectively clearing the ball and Yedlin was mounting serious counter attacks up the wing from the fullback position.

Dempsey was not a first choice his one year with Tottenham. He started a few games due to injuries to other players, but he was pretty disappointing nonetheless and that's why he was sold.

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And prior to that year in Tottenham, he played 6 years in Fulham. Sure, he was far from excellent, but he was a very capable player who is easily better than forwards that a lot of other national teams were starting.

Bradley was not getting playing time at Roma that's why he was sold to Toronto. I don't understand the hype around him. He makes some decent passes when no one is around him. But when he is pressured he panics and loses possession way too easily. He was God awful in this tournament.

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I agree that Bradley is overrated, and I'm not a huge fan either. I think all of what you mentioned comes down to awful first touch, which basically kills his ability to do anything with the ball if he's operating in tight spaces.

Donovan is probably the most technically skilled US player in recent memory. Too bad he was left off. He could have been even better had he decided to ply his trade in Europe. Damn shame.

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Agreed, his time on loan to Everton showed that he can play in the EPL. If he'd spent his entire career there, he would be a better player, and maybe he wouldn't have felt the need to take a vacation and go find himself, or whatever. In which case he would probably still be on the national team.

That being said, I think we are on the right track. Klinnsman knows what it takes to compete against elite players. He wants his players to play in Europe against top competition. We have some young guys who should be better come 2018 if they continue to play against elite competition. Bradley needs to go back to Europe to a mid table team where he can regularly play in one of the four elite leagues and work on his ball control and possession. Altidore needs to get out of Sunderland where he is getting no service whatsoever. Or he needs to develop his dribbling and take guys on. Green is on the right track. Yedlin looks decent. Cap Gideon Zelalem. Do whatever it takes to get him to play for the US. Find other young players like him and Green. And push our young MLS players to go to Europe if there is an opportunity.

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The good news is that there are other guys like Green out there. Paul Arriola and Joe Gallardo are playing in Mexico, Emerson Hyndman is playing in Fulham, Junior Flores is with Borussia Dortmund, Kyle Scott is signed with Chelsea (hopefully he chooses to play for the USA), etc. I'd also be willing to bet that Yedlin gets signed by a team in one of the major leagues in the next year or so. I'm still a bit concerned that Zelalem will end up playing for Germany, but it increasingly looks like USA is going to be a real option.

Check out this guy....

Is Diego ***undez available to play for the US?

OhExaulted1 said:

Check out this guy....

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Oh, come on! Lebron could do that if he wanted.

Germany v. France is going to be a good game.

Mike the Brit said:

Oh, come on! Lebron could do that if he wanted.

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Actually, Lebron is the best athlete in his sport. If he came to the Celt's he would be revered in this area. I can hate a rival but I can still respect excellence. Jeter's, Gretzky's, Magic's, Montana's. Yes, even a Yankee. Can't bring myself to hate on some dudes.

Lebron would dominate in any sport he had chosen. He'd look great lining up as a TE and wearing Red, White and Blue and catching passes from Tom!

Sorry, should have included Pele.

OhExaulted1 said:

Actually, Lebron is the best athlete in his sport. If he came to the Celt's he would be revered in this area. I can hate a rival but I can still respect excellence. Jeter's, Gretzky's, Magic's, Montana's. Yes, even a Yankee. Can't bring myself to hate on some dudes.

Lebron would dominate in any sport he had chosen. He'd look great lining up as a TE and wearing Red, White and Blue and catching passes from Tom!

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Yes, no doubt.

No, I don't believe that for a minute.

Mike the Brit said:

No, I don't believe that for a minute.

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OK. You're right. I'd whip his ass at lawn darts.

Apparently soccer isn't catching on too fast here. ESPN pushing France vs. Germany to it's secondary channel in favor of lawn tennis.

Germany on top so far. Valbuena looking lively however.

0-1 Germany, Hummels the scorer with a header from a Kroos free kick.

And a beautiful header it was. Great judgment.

PP2 said:

Apparently soccer isn't catching on too fast here. ESPN pushing France vs. Germany to it's secondary channel in favor of lawn tennis.

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I don't expect anywhere near the interest for the remainder of the WC as those weho only tuned in for the US team will all disappear, however the ripples will continue to help it grow steadily until the next cup comes around. I know personally i am going to be paying much more attention to their future teams and how their up and coming players are doing with their club teams. I will watch more MLS and EPL and record every friendly and off year competition.

Provided that there isn't some backstairs political explosion, all the signs are good for the game in the U.S.

MLS may not be La Liga or the Premiership, but it's got solid roots and the standard is rising. What's more, with modern air travel and long camps before big competitions it's not the disaster it once was to have major players abroad (look at the South Americans).

The biggest issue is definitely youth development, but the U.S. has some decent young players coming through. A young Messi would be nice, though ...

Germany definitely in charge here.

France going out with a whimper and seem to have surrendered early.....not much has changed in 75 years!

Full time, Germany beat France without Le Bleus barely having a shot.....you can fill in the rest

Germany is just a machine

AzorianPats said:

Germany is just a machine

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That may not have been their best performance of the tournament, but in many ways it was their most impressive. They dealt with an extremely potent French midfield and forward line quite easily. They answered a lot of questions, at least defensively.

They looked like potential winners for the first time since the Portugal game.